THE BOARD
Any letters. Any order. Any word you can find.
Tap tiles anywhere on the board to build a word. There are no paths to trace, so the only limit is your vocabulary.
Long words and rare words pay more. OCTAGON beats CAT, and JETPACK beats them both. Every word you play pulls the train forward and rolls fresh letters in behind it.
Blitz a board in two minutes, or sit with it until you find the seven-letter word you know is in there.
SPECIAL CARS
One great word can swing the whole match.
Some cars carry more than a letter. Stack multipliers to turn a good word into a monster score. Lightning cars strike a whole row and score it for you. Bomb cars blast their neighbors. Pick your boosts before you leave the platform.
And keep an eye on the trestle: use Timothy the Trestle Troll's tile in a word and he pays you a toll. Ignore him and he eats it.
Word Multiplier
Letter Multiplier
Lightning Car
Bomb Car
Caboose
HEAD TO HEAD
Same board. Same letters. Better words win.
Every match puts you and your opponent on the identical board, so a lucky deal never decides it. It all comes down to who finds the better words.
- Matchup. The classic. A full board, no twists, best score wins.
- Golden Freight. Unscramble the secret word hidden in the golden tiles for a massive bonus.
- Bullet Train. A short board built for speed.
- Short Line. The board where small words pay big.
Add friends with an invite link and send a challenge, and you'll both play the very same letters. Results, rematches and rewards all land in the Depot, your mailbox on the line.
THE INSPECTION TICKET
Win or lose, every run gets graded.
The Inspection Ticket stamps every match with a grade, all the way up to the coveted golden S. You're graded against the board you actually played, so a tough deal never counts against you.
Credits call out your best moves, like LONG HAUL for a word of seven letters or more. Better grades earn more XP.
EVERY WEEK
Always a reason to play this week.
- Weekly leagues. Finish near the top of your league and move up, from Bronze through Silver, Gold and Sapphire to Diamond.
- Featured events. A new event rolls in every week. Race across a rail map and claim routes in Rail Rally, pull the rope for your crew in Station Skirmish, and more on rotation.
- Seasonal Lines. Limited-time lines roll through with the calendar, like The Pumpkin Pike each October.
- Something every day. A Word of the Day that pays extra, daily quests and specials, themed days like Multiplier Monday and Wildcard Wednesday, and a streak worth protecting.
COLLECT AND CUSTOMIZE
Earn trunks. Make it yours.
Level up and compete to earn reward trunks, from humble Canvas to the prestigious Presidential. Inside: coins, boosts, and more than a hundred avatars, frames and nameplates, plus stamps that show where you've been.
Level all the way to 100, then Prestige for a permanent star.
THE WORD RAILS DAILY
Play today's board right now, free.
One board a day, the same for everyone, right in your browser. See how your run grades out, keep your streak going, then dare your friends to beat your score. A new board arrives at midnight, your time.
PLAY THE DAILYFREE TO PLAY
Free to play. Built to be fair.
Word Rails is free on iPhone, iPad and Android, and your words decide every match.
Every boost can be earned
Boosts come from playing. You can also pick some up with coins, but you never have to.
Trunks are never sold
Reward trunks only come from playing, and grades and streaks only ever add XP.
Ride as a Conductor
Free players see ads between matches. Conductors ride ad-free, with member perks like bonus XP and bigger daily rewards.
QUESTIONS
Word Rails FAQ
Is Word Rails free?
Yes. Word Rails is free to download and free to play on iPhone, iPad and Android, and it's supported by ads. Optional purchases include coins and a Conductor membership, which removes ads and adds member perks like bonus XP and bigger daily rewards.
How do you play Word Rails?
Tap any letters on the board, in any order, to spell a word. There are no paths to trace. Longer and rarer words score more, special cars like multipliers, Lightning and Bomb cars boost your score, and every word you play pulls the train forward and rolls fresh letters onto the board. The best score on the same board wins.
Is there a timer?
There's no turn timer and no waiting for your opponent to move. Blitz a board in two minutes, or take your time hunting for the seven-letter word you know is in there.
Can I play Word Rails with friends?
Yes. Add friends with an invite link and send them a challenge. You both play the identical board, and your results arrive in the Depot, the game's inbox.
Can I play Word Rails without downloading it?
Yes. The Word Rails Daily is a free board you can play in your browser. Everyone gets the same board, and a new one arrives every day at midnight, your time.
Who makes Word Rails?
Word Rails is made by Summer Door Studios, a small independent studio that loves word games and trains in roughly equal measure.
FROM A SMALL STUDIO
Word Rails is made by Summer Door Studios, a small independent team that loves word games and trains in roughly equal measure. We play alongside you, and we read what you send us. Say hello any time.